So sorry I didn't update yesterday. I just had a really poorly day and couldn't face it. Also, I'll be updating until Friday but I've got a busy weekend and then I'll be disappearing for a week as I'm going on holiday with some friends before Christmas. I should be back to posting on Saturday 15th though. Sorry it's been a bit sporadic lately. The real world keeps seeping in! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Three Hundred and Ninety Five

The following morning, Charlie, Joey and Ruby were up and busy in a hurry. They ate breakfast and got ready for work and for school. Nobody noticed an envelope that was put through the door. It slipped under the mat undetected.


At school, Ruby was uncharacteristically quiet. She sat on her morning break with her friends, Romeo, Indi, Dex, Nicole, April and Xavier but she had never felt more alone. Nicole was smitten with Penn and Romeo and Indi never looked at anyone but each other. She had alienated Xavier a long time ago and he was now besotted with April. And Dex was just strange. She wondered how she had become so lost.

Her attention was stolen when Liam walked past her. He paused, looking awkward. Last night, she had begged to be his friend again and had promised to behave. But no sooner had he agreed, she had been avoiding him. She felt like she had completely lost control of her life.


"You do realise that you don't have to spend twenty four hours a day here, don't you?" Charlie asked, approaching Joey who was tidying the bar to her usual perfection.

Her girlfriend turned and grinned but looked a little guilty.

"I did go home to sleep," she pointed out.

"Only because I dragged you there," Charlie said.

Joey frowned and apologised. She understood where Charlie was coming from when it came to how hard she was working but it was still hard to let go.

"How about we do something nice at the weekend?" she suggested.

"Like, watch you work here?" Charlie replied.

Joey frowned again. Charlie leant across the bar and kissed her.

"Like, how about we go out for the day?" Joey said.

"You'd leave this place for a whole day?" Charlie asked sceptically. "On a weekend?"

"I'd try," Joey volunteered.

Charlie smiled, hoping the idea would become reality.

"Then I'd love to spend the day with you," she said. "I miss you, in case I hadn't made that abundantly clear already."

Joey smiled sadly and apologised again.

"As soon as I have everything in place here, things will calm down, I promise," she said. "I just… need some time?"

Charlie nodded and kissed her again.

"I love you, Charlie," Joey said earnestly.

"I love you too," Charlie replied.


John followed Gina a little helplessly towards Bucktons' where they were meant to be having lunch together. She was in a bad mood about his role in the state of her relationship with Xavier. Her son had hurt her by accusing her of not caring about anyone but John and somehow, that had become her boyfriend's fault.

"What am I supposed to do here, Gina?" John begged, passing Charlie who was on her way out.

"You could try a little harder with him," Gina replied. "Make an effort!"


"Ruby, I'm really confused," Liam confessed.

She had spotted him on her way off campus at lunch time, where she had been intending on going to the beach alone. She'd dodged him, prompting him to confront her.

"About what?" she asked.

"Us," he said.

He immediately regretted his terminology. There was not supposed to be an 'us'. That was the whole point.

"I mean, look, last night, you asked if we could be friends," he said. "You begged for it, even. And now you're giving me the cold shoulder."

"Well maybe I made a mistake," Ruby snapped.

Liam rolled his eyes. He didn't know how much longer he could deal with her tantrums.

"What have I done wrong now?" he asked tiredly.

"Well, you're screwing Bianca Scott for starters," Ruby accused.

"I am not!" Liam protested. "But even if I was, it's none of your business, Ruby. What I do in my own personal time has nothing to do with you."

Ruby glared at him hatefully.


Joey waved from behind the bar where she had been serving drinks when Angelo arrived.

"You're as addicted to this place as I am," she commented when he approached her.

"Pretty much," he agreed.

There was a twinge of hope that perhaps Joey's obsession with her new job meant that there could be trouble in paradise. But it was strange, his first thought of joy hadn't been about Charlie. Ignoring his own confusion, he told her that he had found a possible replacement for the bait shop.

"You work fast," Joey remarked.

He grinned.

"Alf's meeting him this afternoon and if he likes him and you're still up for it, I can start here full time whenever you like," he told her.

"Well, let me know how it all goes and we'll talk," Joey replied.


Liam felt more than a little awkward as Ruby crumpled into tears in front of him. Looking around anxiously and against his better judgement, he put his hand on her shoulder. She sank against him and wept. From a distance, Bianca watched them in horror.


"You're bouncier than you have been lately," Watson remarked as she and Charlie patrolled together. "Not that I'm one to talk."

She had been utterly depressed since Monica had left her and at this point in time, she couldn't see herself feeling any better any time soon.

"Joey and I are going to spend a whole day together tomorrow," Charlie explained.

She tried not to sound too elated. She didn't want to rub her relationship in her friend's face.

"That's nice," Watson enthused.

She smiled but it didn't quite meet her eyes.

"Have you heard from her at all?" Charlie asked quietly.

She couldn't imagine how she would feel if she and Joey had to be apart, if the love of her life had walked out on her.

"She told me when she landed," Watson revealed. "But we both think it would be harder to keep in touch and be apart, you know? Although right now, I'm not even sure that's true. I keep driving myself crazy thinking about what she's doing and…"

She sighed again.

"Who she's doing it with," she added.


"This is ridiculous, Liam!" Bianca exploded.

Ruby had gone and the teacher had wasted no time in charging up to the man that she was secretly attracted to. Or not so secretly, as the case may be.

"She was upset!" Liam protested. "What was I supposed to do?"

"You were not supposed to hug her!" Bianca said. "What were you thinking?"

Liam shook his head, feeling extremely stressed.

"I'm telling Gina," Bianca told him.

He looked up sharply.

"No!" he protested.

"I'm trying to protect you," Bianca said. "Because you seem completely incapable of protecting yourself!"


"Okay, I'm taking you for a drink," Charlie announced when she and Watson clocked off.

"I won't put out unless you throw in dinner too," her friend smirked.

Charlie burst out laughing.

"Dinner it is," she smirked.

Watson grinned and vacated the seat at her desk.

"And in front of your girlfriend as well," she remarked.

Charlie poked her, still laughing.

"It's just been so hard to resist you all these years!" she said.


Xavier and John shook hands, having called a weary truce. They had agreed to play nicely for the sake of keeping Gina happy but John had promised to allow Xavier to call in a favour when he needed to. He just hoped he hadn't made the situation worse.


"Your girlfriend's trying to seduce me," Watson joked when she and Charlie approached Joey behind the bar at the restaurant.

"Damn, have I been working that hard?" Joey asked in mock horror, leaning over and kissing Charlie.

"Yes," Charlie confirmed. "But I promise to control myself."

Joey grinned and kissed her again before turning to Watson.

"How are you doing?" she asked kindly.

"Surviving due to having really nice friends," the police officer replied.

"Well, just so Charlie doesn't outdo me, how about I take my break with you guys and give you free starters?" Joey suggested.

"Yes please!" Charlie said eagerly.

She was desperate to spend some time with her girlfriend.


Next time… Bianca raises concerns about Ruby to Charlie while Nicole and Penn buckle under pressure…